Attention "dusty"!
This article is already a little outdated and may contain information that no longer corresponds to the current status of the topic.
This article refers to Drupal 8. Read our new article about the current SEO modules for Drupal 10: ⇒ THE 12 BEST SEO MODULES FOR DRUPAL 10
Drupal is inherently suitable as a CMS for technically search engine optimized websites(CMS comparison). Nevertheless, there are one or two cases that require additional modules for SEO. Such SEO modules are available for different Drupal versions. There are different modules for Drupal 8 than for Drupal 7, for example.
Modules available for Drupal 8 that you should use for SEO:
Path
"Path" allows you to create aliases for your subpages. For example, "/node/3" becomes "/contact". The good thing about this is that the URLs become readable and people, as well as search engines, can better categorize the page thematically. Path is included in the core of Drupal 8.
Tips:
- Only assign an alias to a URL once, so do not change it later.
- If you change the alias and delete the old URL, you will also lose all positive ranking factors (backlinks, PageAuthority etc.).
- If you change the alias permanently, create a redirect from the old URL to the new one.
- Plan what your URL structure should look like right from the start.
Pathauto
The extension to "Path" allows you to automatically create URL aliases from the title of your page. This works for every content, user or taxonomy. This saves you a lot of manual work and makes your URLs more user and search engine friendly.
The advantage of this module is that you can set how an alias is composed. For each content type, you can define the structure in which the URL is built. For example, you can name taxonomy terms with "tags". The term "SEO" would then be found under /tags/seo.
You use so-called patterns for this: a pattern consists of tokens, i.e. placeholders that pull data from the field content you have entered and incorporate it into the alias.
Another advantage is that "Pathauto" automatically writes all letters in lower case. You can also enter stop words and special characters that should not be included in the URL. All this allows you to create search engine and user-optimized URLs automatically.
Search 404
Instead of displaying a 404 page if the requested page is not found, the module initiates a search with the available search words from the URL or the search terms from the Google search and then displays a list of content that is similar to what was searched for. This is also good for the user experience. This allows you to increase the length of stay and engagement of your visitors and reduce frustration.
Simple XML sitemap
For SEO reasons, you need an XML sitemap generator. "Simple XML sitemap" is a further development of "xmlsitemap", which is easier to use and requires fewer resources. You need the "Path" module in version 8.x-2.x for this module.
An interesting feature here is the option to create multilingual sitemaps. The module adheres to the Google hreflang standards.
Metatag
This module allows you to automatically add structured metadata to your pages. This primarily refers to the meta description and the title tag. However, the module also allows other meta tags such as Facebook's Open Graph Protocol and Twitter Cards. This allows you to control how your content is displayed on these platforms when it is shared. We have used this module for the haustec.de reach portal project, among others.
"Metatag" replaces the following modules by taking over their functions:
- Page Title
- Open Graph meta tags
- Refresh
- Metatag iTunes
Redirect
Pages whose URL has been changed are automatically redirected to the new version. You can use this tool together with "Path" and "Pathauto". The module was merged with the obsolete "Global Redirect" module for Drupal 8.
Google Analytics
The module makes it easier to work with Google Analytics on your Drupal site. You can use it to track domains, exclude individual users or roles from statistics or check which files have been downloaded by visitors. You can also manage user-defined settings for dimensions and metrics. You can find the entire list of features on the Drupal module page.
Easy Breadcrumb
It is important to always know where you are on a website. You should offer your visitors this option in order to optimize the user experience. The module extracts the current page title plus the associated URL and creates a current breadcrumb navigation. You can set whether individual subfolders are displayed. Example: gallery/videos/christmas-eve would lead to a breadcrumb navigation that looks like this: Home → Gallery → Videos → Christmas Eve or Home → Videos → Christmas Eve.In addition to "Easy Breadbrumb", there are other modules that create breadcrumbs. You can find them all on drupal.org.
Shariff Social Media Buttons
This module implements the Shariff Social Media Buttons library from heise online. In contrast to other sharing buttons, especially those that you receive directly from Facebook, Twitter and the like, these buttons do not pass on any user data. This protects the privacy of your visitors and increases performance. The module contains share buttons for all common social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others. By being able to share your content, you will benefit from a higher reach.
Alternate hreflang
While Drupal 8 only includes hreflang tags in the core for translated pages, this module includes the tags on all pages. Search engines use these tags to deliver the correct language version or regional URL to your users.
Yoast SEO for Drupal
First of all, it should be made clear that this module has nothing to do with Yoast. Together with "Metatag", "Yoast SEO for Drupal" helps you optimize your site by pointing out errors that you should improve:
- Has enough text been written?
- Has a meta description been written and does it contain the target keyword?
- Have sections with headings been used, etc.?
The page is checked in real time and you receive a report with all the adjustments you still need to make.
Further modules are constantly being developed. Some are currently under development so that they can also be used for Drupal 8. It's worth checking https://www.drupal.org/project/project_module from time to time to make sure you don't miss out on new, good modules.
SEO modules that are not (yet) available in Drupal 8:
Especially if you have already worked with Drupal 7 and the SEO modules available for it, you might be wondering where one or the other module has gone. We have therefore compiled a list of the SEO modules that are no longer or not yet available:
Page Title: This module ensures that you can enter a different title (title tag) than is automatically generated from the title of the page. This allows you to optimize the title tag without having to change the title of your page. This module is now obsolete. Its functions have been transferred to the "Metatags" module.
Global Redirect: This helper ensures that duplicate content is prevented. Drupal creates object URLs such as "/node/123". These are not "readable" for humans (what is behind this?). To counteract this problem, you can change the URL alias with other modules. However, Drupal does not remove the old URL → Duplicate content under 2 different URLs. "Global Redirect" checks during page loading whether there is an alias for this page, then interrupts loading and loads the content from the alias page.
For Drupal 8, "Global Redirect" has been merged with the "Redirect" module.
SEO Checklist: This module is a checklist of actions that should be taken for SEO with Drupal. The module also provides necessary download links. The main advantage is that you need to think less about which tools / modules you still need. The module has not yet been transferred to Drupal 8.
HTML-Purifier: The module ensures that text entered in the editor is output in accordance with the standard. HTML-Purifier" is not yet available for Drupal 8. It is also questionable whether the module will be further developed for newer Drupal versions at all, as the technology with HTML5 makes the module obsolete.
Link Checker: Links that no longer work are not beneficial for either search engines or your visitors. You should therefore always make sure that your links work. This is a lot of work. "Link Checker" can support you: The module regularly checks links on your site to see if they work. Dead links are shown in a report. We are currently working on making the module available for Drupal 8.
Future-proof and search engine optimized website
arocom makes your website future-proof and search engine optimized: With Drupal 8 as your content management system and the excellent SEO modules, you have more control over your content. And with a modern website from our web designers in Stuttgart, you will achieve a significantly better user experience for your visitors. And Google will be happy too!
